Redo and Regret
by Briarpaw
Summary: If you had the oppurtunity to change history by letting Tadpole survive to become a member of RiverClan and letting Hawkfrost die instead, as the innocent kit he once was, would you do it? Mothwing says she would without thinking, with consequences.
1. Chapter 1: Mothwing's Brothers

**I don't own warriors. Yada yada yada.**

Chapter 1: Mothwing's brothers

It was dawn. Ferns rustled as the dawn patrol left. Birds sang. Mothwing was asleep in her den in the RiverClan camp.

Willowshine gently grabbed her shoulder and shook her carefully. Finally, Mothwing's eyes opened groggily. "Show your mentor some respect," she muttered.

Willowshine stepped back. "Sorry, Mothwing but you said we needed to collect catmint from the Twoleg garden right at dawn or else we'd run the risk of being captured by Twolegs," the apprentice medicine cat reminded her mentor.

"Oh right," Mothwing got to her feet and followed Willowshine out of the camp. But she wasn't aware of her surroundings. She was trying to recapture the dream she'd been having. Usually she dreamed about inconsequential things such as hunting expeditions without the necessity of catching something or about the reeds around the RiverClan camp growing as tall as the forest and getting lost in them. This time she had dreamed of something that mattered to her a painful lot. This time she had dreamed of her brother Hawkfrost when he'd been just Hawk, an adventurous kit as worried about his future as she was and then when he'd been Hawkpaw, an apprentice determined to be accepted by his adopted Clan and growing more confident by the day. Then had come the day when he'd threatened her for the first time, ordering her away from a piece of fresh kill, so he could pretend he had been the one to catch the biggest fish found in the river since one of the elders had been an apprentice. The warriors had exclaimed over it and Leopardstar had remarked that he might be the next leader one day. Mothpaw had been afraid of the look in Hawkpaw's eyes that day. That first act of violence had seemed to break something in Hawkpaw that had been normal and sane. Then had come the paw swipes, the shaking by the neck whenever her brother was irritated with her. He'd made sure she became a medicine cat, though she'd been unsure she wanted that herself. If she'd tried to disagree with him, he'd normally scoffed as if she were less intelligent then he and spoken to her as if she were his kit.

Her other brother Tadpole had already been dead when Sasha had brought them to RiverClan. It had been the reason she had done so. Hawk had looked up to Tadpole. He'd considered him his role model. Moth had loved him for the way that he had always been willing to lead his siblings through difficult situations; how he had never complained but seen the silver lining in any situation and how he had always been the first to go from fretting over a problem to figuring out how to solve it. But she hadn't hero-worshipped him the way that Hawk had. She'd had a healthy love and respect for her oldest brother, not a dependence on his point of view that made it impossible for her to believe what he did not.

Mothwing suspected that Hawk had tried to take Tadpole's place as leader of his littermates after his death. He'd hoped to grow into Tadpole's role, first in his family and then in the greater family that was his Clan. But he hadn't, Mothwing reminded herself. Tadpole had been a leader, not a tyrant. He'd had a sense of authority about him but it wasn't authority that looked down on others or discounted their feelings in favour of ambition. Hawkfrost had frightened her into doing as he wished. So much so that she'd felt a prickle of relief when his penchant for violence had been revealed the day he had attempted to kill Firestar and he'd died. Now the forest was safer.

In addition to wanting to take Tadpole's place, Hawkfrost had also felt the need to find a new role model. He'd wondered about his father. He'd begged Sasha about him at night when Moth was already pretending to be asleep in the RiverClan nursery despite Sasha's insistence that they must never mention him. He'd asked other cats about him. He'd set his paws on the path to follow in Tigerstar's footsteps with frightening speed. Mothwing had not realized it at the time but she was glad that she had chosen to be her own cat rather than trying to make a family member proud. Especially a deceased family member.

Had Mothwing believed in StarClan she would have asked them, "Why did you take the good one first?" Much as she would like to believe that her brothers were alive somewhere on another plane of existence she knew this to be impossible. When a cat died, its body was left; nothing more. Just something to be buried so that its loved ones would not see the worms get to it.

But now Mothwing allowed herself a moment to reflect; however superstitious she felt reflecting on what happened after a cat died. Could Hawk have been saved from whatever void warrior code breakers ended up in if he had been the one to drown in the Twoleg nest where she and her brothers had gotten themselves trapped as kits. Hawk had been, come to think of it, the first one out. Had Tadpole not focused on helping his siblings escape, Mothwing reflected, he wouldn't have died. He could have been the first one out when Sasha came to rescue them. He had always been the strongest and most capable of the three.

Mothwing's mind filled with grief...and guilt...the way it always did when she brought that memory-usually kept as deep in the subconscious as a conscious memory can be kept-up to the surface. When they'd been trapped in the flooding Twoleg nest her first thought had been her own escape, not that of her brothers. Now she regretted her selfishness. She and Hawkfrost had never talked about it but she suspected, especially from the way he had clawed his will up the pipe, without looking back, that he had thought the same things she had. They'd both panicked in the crisis. But Tadpole had kept his head as usual and focused on solving the problem. He'd helped them both out and drowned while their mother was pulling her other two kits out of the water.

"I wish there was some way I could make Tadpole the one who survived," said Mothwing out loud. And instantly regretted it.

Hawkfrost had comforted Moth and their mother as they had gotten over Tadpole's death together. He had been the one to get them both through apprenticeship. She had been frightened to join the Clan though she had made the effort for the sake of her mother and brother. And it was her brother who had been sociable and inquisitive; carving them a place in the Clan so that eventually even she could feel like a part of it. She would always love him for that despite what had happened.

"Mothwing," Willowshine called. "Hurry up." Mothwing realized she was standing at the edge of the Thunderpath. She dashed across just as a monster came speeding up; dealing her a glancing blow and sending her body flying.

"Mothwing! No!" screamed Willowshine. She was tempted to dash over to help her unconscious mentor but knew she must not move her body alone.

Meanwhile Mothwing's spirit opened its eyes. Startled, she realized she was floating intangibly over her body, looking down on it on the Thunderpath. _Am I dead?_

"No, Mothwing," said a voice. "There may be a way you can make your wish come true." Mothwing turned her head and saw a hairless cat with frightening eyes floating in midair next to her. She screamed.

**What do you think?**


	2. Chapter 2: The Cosmic Loop

**Don't own warriors. Oh yeah, I should probably tell you that this story takes place right after Sunrise but I'm sure you could figure that out on your own.**

Chapter 2: The Cosmic Loop

A patrol consisting of Duskfur, Copperpaw and Dawnflower came dashing down alongside the Thunderpath. Copperpaw, who was very fast for a RiverClan cat and for an apprentice got there first. She dashed out into the road and sniffed Mothwing's body. "Is she okay?" she breathed.

"Copperpaw!" Duskfur yowled. "Get back!"

Copperpaw heard the monster rushing towards her. She dashed back across the Tunderpath. The monster narrowly missed her tail on one side and Mothwing on the other. "Be careful!" Duskfur hissed at her. Copperpaw seemed almost ready to be a warrior sometimes and completely mouse-brained at others. Copperpaw nodded. She was still shaking.

Dawnflower licked Willowshine's ear. "What happened?" She asked.

"She was hit but her chest is rising and falling." The lick on the ear had reminded Willowshine of her duty. She was the medicine cat and should be dealing with the situation, not being comforted. "She must still be alive."

"We have to get her out of the road," Willowshine continued. "I'll take her by the scruff. Duskfur and Dawnflower can hold her limbs and make sure they don't get jostled too much. Copperpaw, you watch for more monsters."

Copperpaw nodded. Duskfur and Dawnflower took their positions. Willowshine took Mothwing by the scruff. The taste of her mentor's skin in her mouth assured her that Mothwing was very much alive, though unconscious and would not be joining StarClan without a good deal more damage. Medicine cats can tell this sort of thing.

Mothwing turned to see the strangest cat she had ever seen, suspended in midair beside her. He was hairless and his skin was wrinkled and bulgy as if it had been made a haphazard size and plastered onto something misshapen. His eyes too were fantastic; they were clearly sightless and wide and colourless.

She opened her mouth in a scream.

The strange cat slapped her tail over her mouth. As he did so, she could feel the scene around her, of her Clanmates moving her body beneath her fading. All at once, she found herself scrabbling for pawholds on a slanted piece of rock. Unable to grab hold, she slid into a river she didn't recognize. Being a RiverClan cat she easily swam to shore, climbed out, shook herself and looked around. She was in a cavern of sorts. Light came in through cracks in the ceiling. As Mothwing's eyes adjusted, she could see several tunnels in the walls. _Am I in some kind of dream version of the tunnels on WindClan territory?_

"Yes," said the voice again. "You are."

Mothwing turned to see the sightless cat sitting on a raised rock in the cavern.

Instinctively, Mothwing dipped her head in respect. It just seemed natural.

"Greetings, Mothwing. My name is Rock. I am guardian of these tunnels and have been for un-told ages. I also have a power that StarClan does not. I can reach out to those who do not believe in me."

Mothwing raised her head. "I'm only dreaming!" She meowed defiantly.

Rock dipped his head. "Believe that if you do. Yes, you are unconscious but not dead. You will dream for some time before you return to the lake. But I am also here to grant your wish."

"You can't change history," Mothwing meowed. But she was less sure than before. This cat had a persuasive voice and a sort of quiet authority and confidence.

Rock's sightless gaze somehow became more burning. "Yes, you can. The universe is a kind of loop, if you will. It has no end but you will always get back where you started. But only in a different time. Yesterday still exists. So does every other day before that."

Mothwing shivered. It was a scary thought. "Really? Does the future exist already too?"

"Yes," said Rock. "But that is not relevant right now. It's the past that you wished to change."

Mothwing trembled. "I didn't mean it!" She gasped. "I didn't mean to trade one brother for another! That would make me evil...wouldn't it?" Mothwing didn't have the self confidence to make pronouncements like this herself without asking if she was right.

Rock shook his head. "No, you have the best interests of your Clanmates in mind. Hawkfrost intended to commit violent takeover if necessary. You had the best interests of other Clans in mind as well. Remember he tried to kill Firestar. You would like to sacrifice your brother but you didn't think of it that way. You thought of it as saving him from himself. And Tadpole is a great loss to RiverClan."

Mothwing nodded. Words could not say what a loss Tadpole was. But she also couldn't help thinking, _this isn't real._

"I see you are still unsure," said Rock. "Well, even if you believe this is only a dream, it will be good for you to get this off of your chest."

Mothwing nodded, relieved. It _was_ only a dream. She didn't have the power to change history. She submitted as a rush of air engulfed her.


	3. Chapter 3: KitHood Hardship

**Mandatory disclaimer: I don't own warriors. Or Harry Potter, or His Dark Materials or Fruit or all of the other things I intend on writing fanfiction for in future. **

Chapter 3: Those Days of Kit-hood Hardship

Willowshine, Dawnflower and Duskfur laid Mothwing down on the grass. "Copperpaw, go tell Leopardstar what happened," ordered Dawnflower.

Copperpaw's speed came in handy now as she raced back to camp. Dawnflower returned to watching Willowshine assess Mothwing's injuries. All of the cats were somewhat dumbfounded by how close she had come to death.

"She's got a shoulder wound that looks bad. And there's a cut on her head where she was thrown by the monster. I think she sprained her paw but it will heal. So long as we don't do anything to make her injuries worse, she should recover. I hope."

Willowshine paused for thought. She absolutely abhorred the thought of her mentor dying. _No, she won't die. She was amazingly lucky in that sense. But this is a reminder that she could be taken from you in an instant. You must always be prepared in case you have to replace her._

Willowshine continued, "I think we should keep her here, by the side of the Thunderpath until she is conscious and healed enough to walk. That way we won't damage her too much as we carry her back to camp."

Duskfur pointed out a thicket several tail-lengths away. "I think we can get her there without damaging her too much. We could build her a temporary nest in there."

Dawnflower nodded. "I'll check for fox scents and other dangers." Then she remembered to turn to Willowshine for instructions. "If that's what you think we should do."

Willowshine nodded quietly as she groomed Mothwing's head wound as gently as she could. "Some cobwebs would be nice too."

Dawnflower dashed off to the thicket which, thankfully, carried no trace of fox or any other predator. It did have tantalizingly scents of prey but Dawnflower couldn't think of that right then. She gathered as much cobweb as she could wrap around her paw and returned to Mothwing. Willowshine gratefully took the cobweb from her and placed a wad gently on Mothwing's head wound.

"Now," she told the other two. "I have to hold it here while you take her to the thicket."

***

Mothwing couldn't see the planets and stars that shot past her; only a blur. She couldn't hear or smell anything; nor did she need to breathe. Rock's voice told her as she flew, "I must bring you at a certain speed so that you arrive at exactly the right time. You will be yourself at a younger age should I return you to the Earth during the span of your life. Were I to return you to the Earth at another time, you would become a past life version of yourself or if I were to return you to a time when you have no past life you would become suspended in the particles of the air. So you see why it is important for me to be careful."

Mothwing wasn't comforted by this explanation but she reminded herself that this wasn't real and she wasn't really in danger of becoming one with particles of air.

"I've told you all before, don't take this out of the den!"

Puzzled, Mothwing opened her eyes. Her mother was standing in the opening to the hollow log, dripping wet and looking like furor unleashed. In front of her lay the broken collar that her housefolk, Ken and Jean, had given her. Startled, Mothwing looked to her right side and saw her brothers as kits sitting next to her. She stifled an impulse to leap on them and greet them as the long lost family they were. She hadn't seen any of these loved ones in ages.

To her surprise, she remembered all of her future life: the death of Tadpole, RiverClan, her warrior training, her medicine cat training, Leafpool and the other medicine cats, her crisis of faith and her apprentice. She even remembered what she'd last eaten. With a smile, Mothwing recalled the fat squirrel that Mallowpaw had brought her, dragging it by the tail just to prove to Sneezepaw that he could do it without tearing out any of the hairs. It had been _so_ covered in dirt. Mistyfoot had been so angry but Mothwing couldn't have helped laughing even though it had been her dinner.

"Moth!" Here was her mother. Mothwing was jerked back to...the present? The past? "What are you laughing about? This isn't funny. If any cat finds out I used to be a kittypet, it'll be the end for all of us. Wild cats don't respect kittypets. Or have I not told you that often enough?"

"Mama, she didn't take it out of the den. It was me," whispered Hawk. Tadpole nodded. "And it was my idea. I thought we could pretend one of us was a kittypet and the others were Twolegs."

Sasha groaned. "Just don't do it again." Defeated, she walked to the back of the den and curled up in her nest. Mothwing watched her with concern.


	4. Chapter 4: Picked Off One by One

Chapter 4: Cats being picked off one by one.

**I still don't own warriors. Man, it gets tedious saying this every time I write a chapter. What are they gonna do, go through each chapter of every warriors fanfic individually to make sure ? Do they actually do that? Erin Hunters, if you are reading this, I love all your books-the Seekers stories too. Bluestar's Prophecy is your best book yet and Bluestar and Hollyleaf and Jayfeather are my favourite cats. Please make Dovepaw as unique as they are. Although Tadpole is pretty cool too and I intend to let him remain so as history is changed in this chapter. Oh yeah, please give Brightheart an apprentice sooner rather than later. And maybe Ferncloud too.**

In the RiverClan camp, Mistyfoot was assigning hunting patrols. "Graymist, you'll lead this one. Take Pinefur, Robinpaw and Dapplenose."

Pouncetail called out from the other side of the camp, "Dapplenose has fallen ill!"

Mistyfoot sighed. It had seemed the greencough epidemic was ebbing over. It had been a hard leaf-bare, especially considering they were so short of paws. Not only were many cats ill with greencough but Minnowpaw and Pebblepaw had gotten in a fight with a badger two seasons ago. Minnowpaw's leg had been savaged so badly that she'd barely been able to walk for three moons. Pebblepaw had lost most of his tail, an ear, and a good deal of his self confidence. Now they were almost recovered but their training had been delayed so much that, even though they were more than twice the age of the other apprentices they were still training. They couldn't take on full warrior duties to ease up the load yet. Minnowpaw, once the troublemaker of the Clan, had become subdued and careful, taking her time with everything. Mistyfoot had thought she would be relieved if this happened, as it would be proof that her granddaughter was finally maturing but actually she longed to see Minnowpaw skive off a duty just for the heck of it or even destroy part of the much-needed medicine supply in a game just so Mistyfoot could see that she wasn't too traumatized by the fight with the badger.

Blackclaw, Reedwhisker, Beechfur, Mintfur, Nettlepaw, Otterheart, Swallowtail and now Dapplenose were ill. Otterheart and Beechfur had both come close to death at times, according to Mothwing and Willowshine. Mistyfoot just hoped they returned with the catmint soon. It would be welcome.

"Okay," Mistyfoot made a mental note to check up on Dapplenose, who had once been her apprentice, later. "I'll go on patrol with you. Just let me tell Leopardstar first."

But when Mistyfoot entered Leopardstar's den she was greeted by a fit of coughing. _No, not her too. _Mistyfoot silently prayed to StarClan for an end to this. Her leader was not as young as she used to be. "Leopardstar," she began.

Just then Copperpaw entered the den. "Leopardstar," she gasped. "Important message!"

"Copperpaw," rasped Leopardstar. "You get outside the den. You too, Mistyfoot. I'm contagious. Tell me your news from there."

Mistyfoot and Copperpaw exited the den. "I'm going on the next hunting patrol with Pinefur and Robinpaw but if you're sick, I'll stay in camp and see if Rippletail and Mallowpaw can go instead of training."

Leopardstar sighed. "I think we can trust these cats to know their duties for the day. You go on patrol. But put Rippletail and Mallowpaw in charge of cleaning out the elders' den and the nursery. I heard Icewing complaining about contagions seeping into the kits' filthy bedding yesterday. Now Copperpaw, what is it?"

"Mothwing was hit by a monster on the Thunderpath and Willowshine says she'll live but she has a shoulder wound and she's unconscious and she can't be moved just yet so Willowshine is going to treat her there and Duskfur and Dawnflower are with her and, oh yeah, they probably don't have the catmint," said Copperpaw in one breath.

Mistyfoot took a second to absorb all of this and then she screamed, "Copperpaw!!! When you have information like that, tell your leader right away!! Don't put it off!!! Mothwing could DIE, for StarClan's sake!!!!"

Every head in the camp turned to see what Mistyfoot was screaming about and Copperpaw backed away in alarm. "I was going to tell my leader right away but Leopardstar ordered me out of the den! I meant to tell her but I was just following orders! I'm s-s-sorry!" she gasped. Everyone had it in for her today, it seemed.

Mistyfoot gulped and backed down. "I'm sorry, Copperpaw. You didn't deserve that. I guess I'm just tense. Everything has been impossible lately what with the greencough epidemic and us being driven out of our camp in Greenleaf and having to make up for lost time with everyone being short of food. It's like the cats we need to do the duties are being picked off one by one." She felt ashamed of herself. Was this how the Clan deputy reacted to stress.

Mothwing spent the night in the comfort of her mother and brothers. It had been so long since she'd slept so close to another cat. The life of a medicine cat was lonely and Willowshine slept in outside the medicine clearing most nights to give her privacy. Mothwing was warmer and more comforted this way. She forgot all about RiverClan in the comfort of her family.

**There had to be a reason why Minnowpaw and Pebblepaw are still apprentices after all of this time. I mean, they were born before the Great Journey, or so I've been led to believe. All the other cats that are that old have been warriors for moons. I'm sure Erin Hunter will tell us in the next series but while we're waiting there's room for speculation.**


	5. Chapter 5: Changing History

**Chapter 5: Changing History**

**Yeah I know it is not the most imaginative name for a chapter but I wanted to give one chapter this name. This is the pivotal chapter. The one that changes history-hence the title. Without this chapter, Warriors continues as it always did. **

**I don't own warriors and I have GREAT respect for the women who do. And I do not just say that because they might be reading this. But if you are: Hi. **

When Sasha went out to hunt, the three kits were left home alone once again. Mothwing shivered as she looked into the trees outside of her family's den. In RiverClan kits were never left alone in camp. She wanted the safety of the dens, the protection of the river and the security of older cats. She hated the feeling of her tiny paws after being a capable adult warrior. She realized, not for the first time, that her mother had had a much more difficult time of it than any Clan she-cat.

"Wow...Mama looked so sad last night. I've never seen her like that," Hawk said, making Mothwing wonder, once again, what had happened to her sweet, innocent brother.

She resisted the temptation to reach out and place a tail tip on his shoulder but she knew that he would be embarrassed by the gesture so instead she said, "Me neither. I don't want her to be sad."

"Specifically not because of us," Hawk agreed.

"I don't think Mama was sad because of us. I just think she feels bad cause she hates living in the woods, and she misses her old housefolk from when she lived in Twolegplace. We've gotta do something," said Tadpole.

"But what? What could we do?" asked Mothwing.

"I know, next time she goes out to hunt, we could go and find Ken!" said Tadpole.

"What, no!" blurted out Mothwing. "That would only make things harder on our mother. She's got enough to worry about without her kits disappearing on her. What if she got back before we did and saw us gone? The shock would kill her. And what if we got into trouble out there. What about foxes and other predators? And have you thought about all the things we could get into that we wouldn't understand? There are these kits that got into a poisoned bottle and one of them died and the the other two were really sick..." she trailed off. _You're supposed to be a kit, remember_! Mothwing reminded herself. _You don't have this kind of common sense, nor do you know about Minnowpaw and Pebblepaw and Tumblekit yet._

Tadpole and Hawk stared at her. "Where did you hear about that?" asked Hawk. "We're the only kits we've ever met."

"Uh, you two were asleep and I was out of the den and that cat from ShadowClan came back and she told me a few stories about her Clan," lied Mothwing.

Hawk raised an eyebrow. "You went out on your own, without Tadpole? And talked to a strange cat? You never even leave the den without us. I don't believe you."

But Tadpole looked interested. "Can you tell me the story? It's good to learn things. And I like to hear stories."

Mothwing told them the story of three kits leaving camp without permission and getting sick from some poisonous liquid they found before spreading the sickness around the camp. But she substituted the names Toadkit, Applekit and Marshkit for Minnowkit, Pebblekit and Tumblekit. She substituted Tallpoppy for Dawnflower and Littlecloud for herself. And she told of the ThunderClan medicine cat who came to help but she attributed that to Cinderpelt, not Leafpool. She made sure to mention that Cinderpelt had a crippled leg so that when Hawk and Tadpole met her they wouldn't wonder why Russetfur hadn't mentioned it to their sister.

Then, for good measure, she made up a story about Russetfur and Jaggedtooth and their apprentices, Cedarpaw and Rowanpaw, going on a special warrior mission to the land beyond Highstones to obtain a special plant from Twoleg meadows that were full of sheep. She described the sheep the way Stormfur had when he'd come back from the journey to the Sun-Drown Place.

Then she made up another story about a Twoleg monster that wandered the edge of the camp and the fear of the Clan cats that it would trample their dens and kill them. But the monster had just rolled on, leaving a good section of destroyed forest but letting the camp alone. Mothwing wasn't sure when the Twoleg destruction of the forest had begun and she was pretty sure it hadn't begun yet but she needed story ideas that her brothers would enjoy. Maybe she could take their mind off of finding Ken long enough for them to forget about it. Diversion was a tactic the adult Mothwing frequently used with adventurous kits.

Just as Mothwing was finishing the story about the Twoleg monster invasion, Sasha returned from hunting with two mice dangling from her jaws. "Hungry, dears?" she asked.

"Yes, Mama!" Hawk and Tadpole clambered over to eat and Mothwing did too, remembering to play the part of a kit. But she noticed the way her mother's ribs stuck out and how her cheekbones looked gaunt and thin but she still fed her children before worrying about herself. _Poor Mama!_

The three kits shared the mice but Mothwing pushed half of her share to Sasha. "Here Mama, I can't finish this." When Tadpole saw her give her share to her mother, he pushed what was left of his mouse to Sasha. Hawk had already finished his bit of each mouse and looked guilty.

Sasha smiled gratefully. "I have such wonderful kits," she muttered to herself. Hawk, Mothwing and Tadpole looked away, embarrassed as Sasha gobbled up what was left of the mice, which wasn't much. Then she sighed, "I'm going out again. Will you three be okay on your own again, while I try to see if there's anything else to eat in the forest?"

It was a rhetorical question. Her three kits had been left alone often from the day they had been born. There could be little supervision from their overworked mother if they hoped to get enough to eat and they were very precocious about taking care of themselves. It helped that Tadpole was moons ahead of his age and almost like a little adult...in some ways anyway.

As soon as Sasha left, Tadpole turned to the other two and said, "She's in the trees. If we want to go find Ken, now's our chance."

Mothwing gulped. "Tadpole, remember what I told you earlier."

Hawk nodded. "Yeah, what about foxes?" Mothwing blinked gratefully at his support. Maybe the two of them together could change Tadpole's mind.

Tadpole sighed. "Listen, you two, we're not stupid like those other kits. We know better than to play with a poison liquid we don't recognize. We know how long it takes Mama to hunt and we'll know when to be back by. And as for foxes, there is just as much danger one of them will find us in here as out there. It's life. You can't be scared all the time. C'mon, you two." He stepped out of the den and headed off down the path.

"You're right, Tadpole," Hawk shouted as he raced after him, not wanting to be left behind. Mothwing decided she would have to go with them and just make sure they didn't end up in the same place they had before. Then Tadpole would survive. Mothwing didn't know when she had started believing this was not a dream but she had.

"Look," Tadpole explained to his two weary siblings. "We've heard Mama talk about the place she used to live. I'm sure we'll know it when we see it..."

Just then, a large terrifying gray cat with a collar of teeth around his neck left out from behind a trash can. "Where do you little scraps think you're going?" He hissed. "Strangers aren't welcome around here."

Tadpole, Moth and Hawk jumped back in horror. _I will not run away_. Mothwing stood her ground though the temptation was to turn tail.

"And...is that forest...I smell on you? Three little scraps, straight from the woods. You better tell me what you're doing here, all three of you and make it quick."

Mothwing stared. He seemed almost _afraid_ to meet three kits from the forest. She'd been told of the battle with BloodClan but she hadn't realized the BloodClan cats had sustained such losses that they still feared cats from the forest. "We're just hunting while our mother and ten of our Clanmates search for food in the next alley," she bluffed, in the hopes of frightening him further.

The cat stared hard at her. Mothwing realized he knew she was bluffing. _Oh great, have I just gotten us into more trouble?_

Then another darker gray cat stepped out from behind another can. "Look at this. Three little cat skins, just walking around like they had good sense."

"Get an eyeful of that fur," said the first one. "That would make a nice collar, wouldn't it?"

Hawk ran away, with Tadpole and Moth on his tail. As they passed three tied-up guard dogs that Mothwing recognized, she remembered why she had been brought back in time. _I have to keep us out of that abandoned Twoleg nest at all costs._

Quickly, she turned and veered towards the abandoned monster, instead of the nest. "C'mon," she meowed. "Let's hide here!" She hunched her little kit legs and leapt into the open hood. Immediately, she felt the skin of her right front leg tear on a jagged metal thing that was inside the open thing. She screamed in pain and fell off the monster onto the grass, her leg bleeding badly.

Tadpole dashed over to her and licked her leg frantically. "Under the car," he whispered. "We can't risk meeting those other cats again with that cut."

Mothwing leaned on him as they crawled under the car. Hawk followed them, glancing nervously over his shoulder to see if the rogues might be following.

Mothwing drifted in and out of consciousness as Tadpole licked her wound, trying to stop the bleeding and Hawk kept watch. She felt she had failed. She wanted to make things easier for her littermates, not harder. For the twelve hundredth time in her life, she felt almost completely powerless.

_Don't give up hope_, Rock's voice whispered in her ear. _You have saved Tadpole and you are still a medicine cat. Just think what you would do if this happened to one of your Clanmates._

"Cobwebs," breathed Mothwing. Tadpole looked at her attentively. "Find cobwebs. Stop the bleeding." Tired with effort, her head collapsed and her eyes closed. "Hawk," Tadpole called. "Go out and look for cobwebs."

When Mothwing came to, some very soaked cobwebs were being pressed onto her bleeding leg and a steady pouring could be heard on the roof the car the kits were sheltering under. "Good, you're awake! We were so worried." Hawk licked his sister's nose.

"I guess you were right, Moth," Tadpole admitted, his eyes full of guilt. "We should have stayed home. I still wish we'd found Ken though."

"It's okay, Tadpole. You did it for Mama," Mothwing answered.

"You're the best, Tadpole," Hawk agreed. "We don't know what we'd do without you."

"I'm not the best. I got you two into trouble," Tadpole sighed. "I'm a horrible brother."

"No, you're not. You're the one that gets us through things like this," Hawk and Moth assured him. Some of the guilt ebbed from Tadpole's face.

"How did you know to use cobwebs, Moth?" Tadpole asked. Mothwing was saved from having to reply by the arrival of Sasha and Shnuky in front of the car. "I don't understand. The trail ends here," Sasha said to her old friend.

"Maybe the rain's washing it away?" Shnuky asked.

"Mama, we're here," Tadpole crawled eagerly out from under the car. "Come quickly," he said as his mother grabbed him and licked him furiously. "Moth is hurt!"

"Aha!" said a voice from the edge of the yard. Hawk and Mothwing crawled to the edge of the car and peeked out. What they saw disturbed them.

Watching them, from the shadow of the tree in the nest's yard, were four more cats with teeth-studded collars. One was black as night and just as scary looking, one was dark ginger with very ragged fur, one was extremely large and a dirty brownish colour and the only she-cat was small and wiry with short gray fur. All of them looked like death.

"That's who's been stinking up this place like the forest!" the black cat screamed. "Get them!" The four cats ran at the group gathered around the car. Shnuky and the kits crawled under the car in fright but Sasha leapt up to face the attackers.

The black cat and the gray cat reared in front of her, jumping on top of her and trapping her beneath their body weight. The brown one sat down on her hind legs, while she was wrestling with the other two, so that she couldn't move. And the nasty ginger one lunged at her throat. His teeth hit their target. Blood gushed from Sasha's throat as the life ebbed out of her.

"No, Mama!" wailed Mothwing.

**Mothwing isn't the kind of cat that is immediately capable of influencing what happens around her. But she does manage to save Tadpole. At what a price, though!**


	6. Chapter 6: Oh Yeah, Mothwing's Catatonic

**Chapter 6: My Clanmates are Recovering and Oh Yeah Mothwing is Catatonic**

**I don't own warriors but I am very grateful to get to act like I do. Websites like rule!**

It was half-moon. Willowshine was making the trek to the Moonpool. Once again, she crossed WindClan territory without her mentor. _She's decided not to come more than once_, thought Willowshine. _I wish it were just that again._

It had been seven sunrises since Mothwing had been hit by the monster. She was still passed out in the nest Willowshine had made her. Willowshine went to see her every day in between the treatment of cuts and abrasions, looking after the cats with greencough, treating Petalkit's sore throat and helping Minnowpaw and Pebblepaw to get a few minutes of swimming in a day in order to strengthen their injured limbs. Needless to say, Willowshine felt overworked and was worried that she wasn't able to care for Mothwing properly. The healthy warriors and apprentices were kept busy with hunting patrols. Minnowpaw and Pebblepaw were well enough to help out in the den and Sneezepaw and Mallowpaw had been enlisted as the youngest apprentices to be Willowshine's assistants in the difficult times but Willowshine was still afraid she might lose a cat. The greencough patients were mostly recovering but Otterheart was still very weak. He seemed to have developed a new strain of greencough that did not respond to catmint. Petalkit's illness was mild now but she was young and with the leaf-bare food shortage, it might develop into something much worse. Her mother, Icewing, rarely left the medicine den and her brothers and sister were always crowded around the entrance, talking amongst themselves. Willowshine had to keep shooing the three kits away.

But even greencough and nuisance kits were things that Willowshine could understand and try to cope with. There was simply no reason for Mothwing to be unconscious. She was alive. Her chest rose and fell with her breathes but her eyes remained closed and she remained unresponsive to touch or to her environment.

Willowshine was terrified by this. The young medicine cat could deal with almost anything but her mentor's catatonic state. _If I can't deal with this, what else can't I deal wit_h? Willowshine was afraid of the answer. Especially since if Mothwing remained this way she would have to take over the duties entirely.

Willowshine wondered if one of Icewing's kits would be interested in becoming her apprentice. _No_, she reasoned. _I don't need an apprentice until my mentor is long gone and these kits wouldn't be any use as a medicine cat. They only get in the way._ She sighed as she remembered Beetlekit's use of a juniper berry as a toy to bat around and how Pricklekit had screamed when it broke on her face.

"Hey," Willowshine, a voice said. Willowshine purred as she greeted her friend, Kestrelwing. Kestrelwing had been given his full name at the last half-moon by Barkface, who had looked unusually old and sick. Willowshine had suspected he wanted to be prepared in case of his own death.

"So, how's things in RiverClan," meowed Kestrelwing. "Things aren't so great with me! Barkface has died and I'm just getting used to his duties. It sucks not having a mentor anymore."

"It sure does," agreed Willowshine, without thinking. When Kestrelwing stared at her, she admitted. "Mothwing is still alive but she's been unconscious for four sunrises and we're keeping her in a makeshift den near the Thunderpath where she was hit. Duskfur and Dawnflower are taking turns guarding her with Mosspelt and Reedwhisker at night."

"Do you have any idea why she is unconscious?" asked Kestrelwing, forgetting his own problems immediately.

"No, that's what worries me," Willowshine answered. "My sick Clanmates are recovering now that I've gotten them catmint, although Otterheart continues to worry me. But I don't know what to do with my mentor. It's completely inexplicable."

"Maybe the other medicine cats can help," Kestrelwing said.

Willowshine nodded. Barkface was amazingly old and had been going to die soon when he'd chosen Kestrelwing as his apprentice. But Mothwing was young, not really much older than Willowshine if you thought about it and Willowshine hadn't been prepared to lose her.

She and Kestrelwing continued on to the Moonstone, whispering to each other about their Clanmates. Willowshine told the success stories of Minnowpaw and Pebblepaw who had almost fully recovered and Kestrelwing talked about Heathertail's cute new kits of whom she and Breezepelt were very proud but the anxiety of Mothwing's catatonic state hung over them like a dark cloud.

Jayfeather, Littlecloud and Flamepaw were waiting for them in the usual place. It was still a shock for Willowshine to see Jayfeather without Leafpool. She had admired the tabby she-cat and been shocked when she'd been forced to step down for having kits. Even stranger, her prickly apprentice, who was so unlike her, turned out to be her son. And Hollyleaf so upset at the knowledge of it! Willowshine wanted to ask Jayfeather about both she-cats.

"We bring sad news," Kestrelwing said to the ThunderClan and ShadowClan cats. "Barkface has died and Mothwing is catatonic. Willowshine doesn't know why."

Willowshine glared at him. She had been hoping to tell them herself. But she was grateful for his help.

"We're sorry for Barkface's loss," Littlecloud said as the other cats bowed their heads in grief.

Jayfeather stepped towards the two cats. "It stinks having to be the main medicine cat all of a sudden," he meowed.

Kestrelwing nodded but Willowshine took a step back. "I'm not the main medicine cat yet. Mothwing isn't dead yet! She could still recover." _She will_, she reminded herself.

"I didn't mean it that way," Jayfeather said quickly. "I just meant you're the main medicine cat temporarily."

"Well, it sounded like you meant it that way," Willowshine growled and the medicine cats stood awkwardly until Flamepaw broke the silence. "So are we going to the Moonstone or not?"

Littlecloud, the oldest medicine cat now, took the lead. Willowshine didn't really want to chat with Jayfeather but she needed information. She fell into step beside him. "I'm sorry," she hissed, hating every word. "How's Leafpool taking her resignation from medicine cat duties? Is she an elder or a warrior?"

Jayfeather looked at her with hostility. He seemed to know she was only apologizing so she could be nosy. "She's fine!" He snapped. "I don't need you worrying about her!"

"Well, excuse me for being concerned!" snapped Willowshine. She didn't know why she bothered, really.

To her surprise, Jayfeather almost backed down. "Sorry," he said. "Listen, Leafpool is training to be a warrior but she's not happy about it. I guess I can understand why she had to keep us a secret but it's not easy." He looked away as if he were embarrassed to confide such a thing in Willowshine.

Willowshine nodded. "I hope she gets over it. She's lucky she had a successor ready though."

Jayfeather was appeased. "Yeah, I don't like what Leafpool did but I can understand why she did it. Lionblaze is beginning to forgive her too."

"What about Hollyleaf?" asked Willowshine, wanting to find out how her old friend, who had been so upset at the last Gathering, was coping.

Jayfeather immediately looked at his feet. "Hollyleaf's dead," he said slowly. "She wanted to escape the angry stares of our Clan so she ran into a tunnel and it collapsed on her."

Willowshine gasped. "Jayfeather, I'm so sorry!"

Jayfeather gulped. "I haven't told anybody else about this," he meowed. "Lionblaze and I told the Clan she was chasing a mouse down the hole. We didn't want them to know she wanted to run away from them."

"I won't tell," Willowshine assured him, while wondering why her least favourite cat was confiding secrets in her. Did he trust her with things he wouldn't tell others? She pushed the thought away. "Poor Hollyleaf. She was just upset and shocked. I don't understand why the other cats can't just forgive her for blurting out that secret. It cost her life."

Jayfeather avoided her eyes. "It's hard to forgive her," he muttered. "But I do, even though the Clan is a mess because of what happened." Willowshine had a sudden feeling that he needed to forgive her for much more than blurting out a family secret. But she didn't want to risk her new harmony with the other medicine cat by asking unwelcome questions. "So do you have any idea why Mothwing isn't waking up even though she's breathing and has a heartbeat?"

Jayfeather shook his head. "No, but I could try to find out."

Willowshine stared at him. "How?"

"I'll ask StarClan," Jayfeather answered. "I'm sure you're trying to get answers out of them yourself but I'll do what I can."

"Thanks, Jayfeather," Willowshine said, though she didn't know why Jayfeather would be likely to have any more success than she would with StarClan, especially since Mothwing was in her Clan and not his.

"You're welcome," Jayfeather replied. The two apprentices continued the trek to the Moonpool in the pawsteps of the other medicine cats.

**I should belatedly thank my reviewers and everyone who has favourited this story. You're very helpful. I'll try to give back to the community by reviewing others. **


	7. Chapter 7: Life as Kittypets

**Chapter 7: Life as Kittypets**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own warriors. I own only this plot. And the subplots. Actually other people besides me have thought of making Jayfeather and Willowshine 'like' each other. So I'm gonna have to claim that only some of the subplots are mine.**

**Interesting how different fanfiction writers deal with the Leafpool-having-kits thing, isn't it. Some choose to exile her, some make her an elder. I can't bear either of these things happening so I've decided she's training to be a warrior. **

**I'm sorry I killed Sasha. I liked Sasha. Really, I did. But the Erins liked Yellowfang. And they still killed her. Sigh. I wish she had lived longer. **

Mothwing ran her paws through the soft basket in Shnuky's Twoleg nest. When Sasha had died, Shnuky had ushered her crying kits to her nest. The kits had received a warm welcome from the Twolegs who had bottle-fed them milk, given them warm blankets to sleep on and _never seemed to leave them alone_!

From what Mothwing could tell, the elderly female Twoleg who walked around with a stick for support was in charge of the others, though they pretended that the younger male Twoleg was in charge. As far as Mothwing was concerned, he was okay because he didn't bother the cats, though he seemed unhappy about the idea of even Shnuky being there. Mothwing had a feeling that he only allowed it because the elderly female who was really in charge was in favour of it. She looked after the cats' feeding, brushing and Mothwing's injury and Mothwing trusted her as much as she would allow herself to trust any Twoleg. The younger female who was the mate of the young male was kind, yet at the same time allowed the cats the space they needed. She was okay too. The half-grown female who laughed and giggled a lot acted just like the grown one about the cats and was therefore okay too.

What were not okay were the kits. There were five of them, some a little bigger than the others but all of them very young and all of them grabby and overenthusiastic about handling cats. Mothwing didn't know how Shnuky could put up with them. She had never understood why Twoleg kits took so long to grow up.

Mothwing had seen a couple of RiverClan cats captured by Twolegs to become kittypets. Neither of the two cats had come back. She also knew that Graystripe of ThunderClan had been captured and forced to be a kittypet and had returned just fine. She knew that her friend Leafpool was half-kittypet and that technically, she herself, was too. Her mother, Sasha, had been unashamed of her kittypet past though she had hidden it from cats who might discriminate.

It wasn't the kittypet situation that had Mothwing feeling ashamed. That was merely a result of circumstances beyond her control. No. Rather it was the fact that her own meddling in history had led to her mother's death. Before she and her brothers were grown, too. She had failed in her desire to save her family. She had hoped that she wouldn't have to simply trade one life for another and save both Hawk and Tadpole. But she had traded one life for another. She had killed Sasha. And this hurt Mothwing more than words can tell.

As Mothwing lay in Shnuky's cat basket, she thought about what to do next. She was the adult, even if her brothers didn't know it. She would have to figure out what they were going to do to survive. She might still be able to take them to RiverClan and have all three of them join it. She was pretty sure she could find her way back to their den in the woods. If she couldn't, then Tadpole, who had the best sense of direction among the three siblings, could. At least, Mothwing reflected, she'd saved him. From there, they could find their way across ShadowClan territory and across the river. Mothwing may have left the old forest seasons ago but she could still remember the way it had been laid out. It would be sad to know that it would just be destroyed but Mothwing could cope with that. Mothwing wondered how she'd convince her brothers to go that way without letting them find out how much she knew about the Clans.

Then again, maybe the best thing for Hawk and Tadpole would be to let them remain here in Shnuky's kittypet nest. They could stay with these Twolegs and somehow learn to live with the grabby hands and being picked up by their tails and their paws and dressed in doll clothes by the one little girly girl. They would grow up eventually. And Shnuky was kind, like a second mother. Maybe it would be better if the kits, who didn't know how to fight and hadn't had much training in how to hunt, to not have to trek all the way across a forest full of unknown predators.

But what about her duties as a medicine cat? Mothwing shivered at the thought of it. If she didn't join the Clan as a kit that would mean it would be left without a medicine cat after Mudfur died and before Willowshine grew to apprentice age. It would be different if she really was a kit and didn't know she had that destiny. But she did and there was no escaping it. She couldn't abandon her Clan. She couldn't. It would make her a horrible, evil cat.

Maybe she could leave her brothers here and go by herself. But wouldn't it be safer for her to travel with her littermates than just by herself? And they would not let her go alone. She knew that. They were a family and needed each other even more now that Sasha was gone.

Mothwing buried her face underneath a piece of pink blanket. She had never been reliable in stressful situations and now she felt utterly hopeless. _What to do now?_

Hawk, in the basket beside her, rolled over and his paw flopped over on top of her ear. Mothwing flicked him off, pulled her face out from under the fold of blanket and realized Tadpole was missing. _Where did he go?_

Disentangling herself gently from Hawk, she climbed out of the basket and padded through the room, careful not to disturb the two kits that were sleeping in little sleeping bags on the floor. For some reason, these two had beds but they were almost never used. One of them was the little girl who liked to put the cats in something that Shnuky called doll clothes. The other was the little boy who always pulled harder on the tails and ears than the others.

The other two kits slept in their own rooms. One was a tomboy girl who wasn't into doll clothes but was into hitching the cats up to little wooden objects and expecting them to pull them. She didn't seem to understand that she needed a dog for that. The other boy was the smallest and the noisiest of the kits. He was given to pushing little miniature cars around and making little screeching noises. He also liked to dash around the house with a blue pelt tied around his shoulders, waving it every which way. He wet his bed and always smelled of pee no matter how much time the older Twolegs spent trying to clean him.

Mothwing trekked her way down the hall and turned into the room where the food was always served. She smelled the lumpy stuff that the Twolegs ate themselves for breakfast. The four kits would occasionally throw it at each other. Mothwing had eaten a piece of it when it landed on the floor. It had been worse than the dry stuff the Twolegs fed the cats because it was lumpy and stuck in her throat. The half grown female was sitting on the wooden stand with her elbows on the wooden flat thing. She was eating her breakfast out of a bowl and staring at a lighted up screen. She was frowning and had bags under her eyes. Tadpole was sitting on her lap and Mothwing could practically hear sobs coming from him. The Twoleg pressed buttons connected to the screen with one hand and stroked Tadpole with the other.

Tadpole nuzzled at her hand as he cried. Mothwing wondered if she should go talk to her brother or if she should not let him know she'd seen him crying. But then she heard Tadpole call her name, "M-moth?"

Mothwing looked up at him. "Yes, Tadpole?" The Twoleg looked in her direction, then sighed and returned to staring hypnotically at the screen. Mothwing wondered at the craziness of Twolegs.

"We can't stay here," said Tadpole decisively. "There are too many Twoleg kits. As soon as we can look after ourselves, we need to get out of here."

"I think that, too," Mothwing said, relieved. "Do you think you can find your way back to the forest? Not right away, of course," she added quickly. She didn't want to give him too many ideas. "But soon. Real soon."

Tadpole nodded and returned to nuzzling the Twoleg.

"If you're sick of Twolegs, how come you're so friendly with that one?" Mothwing couldn't help asking.

Tadpole frowned. "I don't really know, Moth. I just think she's not very happy right now. She's overworked or she wouldn't be up so late."

Mothwing stared. "Staring into that weird bright thing is _work_?"

Tadpole shrugged. "Don't ask me how, but it is," he yawned. "I'm going to go back to sleep." He curled up in the Twoleg's lap.

Mothwing padded across the room and leapt up onto the smooth surface beneath the window. She was careful not to fall into the trench that filled up with water when the Twolegs turned the nozzles. She had fallen in on her first day and it hadn't been pleasant. She had nearly drowned before Shnuky pulled her out.

Once she was on the hard surface, Mothwing leapt onto a dirty white thing that was piled by the trench and stared out the clear thing that one could see outside with. It looked like a way to escape but every time Mothwing tried, she hurt her nose. Hawk had actually gotten a nosebleed trying to get out one. Mothwing didn't understand why Shnuky's cat flap had been boarded up when the kits had moved in. She also didn't understand why Shnuky could just sit at the door and expect to be let out but the kits were thwarted every time they tried to escape. Shouldn't all the cats have the same privileges? And who gave the Twolegs the right to be her jailers anyway? That was another problem. How could she escape when the Twolegs were determined to keep her here?

Mothwing stared at the moonlit street. The Thunderpath just made her sad. Sasha had been attacked and killed on a Thunderpath. The troubles had all started when they entered Twolegplace. Depressed she turned her gaze up to Silverpelt. It was a clear night and they shone in the sky, keenly visible to any cat. _Maybe I've always been right and you aren't real, _thought Mothwing, praying for the first time. _But if you are real, then please help me get back to my Clan._ Mothwing knew that she wasn't living a dream. If this were a dream she would have woken up by now. She wasn't exactly sure how long it had been. She had lost track of the days what with being stuck in this nest with all these Twoleg kits but she knew it had been too long to be a dream. And whenever she dreamed she was vaguely aware that she was dreaming. This was too _real_ to be a dream.

Suddenly Mothwing was aware of another cat staring at her from a branch of the oak tree. He was a gray tabby with blue eyes. "Jayfeather!" gasped Mothwing.


	8. Chapter 8: Dovekit's Powers

**I still don't own warriors. But I own this version of Dovekit's power. I think she may be more than just clairvoyant and clairaudient (if that's a word), and having those extra sensitive whiskers. And even if I read the next book before I finish this story, I'm keeping it just in this story. **

**Chapter 8: Dovekit's Powers**

Jayfeather looked in the glass thing. Just his luck. There was a barrier separating him from Mothwing. And after he'd had to go to so much trouble to find her. He glanced down at the bewildered kit in the grass. She looked tired. It hadn't really been fair to make the little kit travel this far in time when she was so young but he had to admit she had come into her powers much faster than Lionblaze or even Jayfeather himself had.

***

That night at the Moonstone, Jayfeather, Willowshine, Flamepaw, Littlecloud and Kestrelflight (**I realize now that I've read the first book in the new series that his name isn't Kestrelwing. Well, that suffix is getting a bit overused, isn't it.) **all lay down to share tongues with StarClan. Jayfeather wasn't sure how he was going to get into Mothwing's dreams when she wasn't here but he was sure he was powerful enough that he could find a way to do so. He wondered why he had promised to do such a thing for Willowshine. He wondered even more why he had decided to tell her about Hollyleaf. _Because she was Hollyleaf's only friend outside ThunderClan and someone needs to have some idea of what Hollyleaf was going through. So there's someone who doesn't simply look down on her._

As usual when he entered StarClan's forest, Yellowfang was there. "Well, well. If it isn't the little spy. Whose dreams will we be snooping on today?"

"No one's in particular," Jayfeather replied. "I want to know how my Clan will get on after Hollyleaf's revelation of course. Also, do you know where Sol went?"

Yellowfang chuckled. "I almost think you're just like any other medicine cat today. But you're not, of course. Your Clan will suffer from Hollyleaf's death but will remain together and will emerge stronger for it. But that wasn't your first concern tonight was it?"

"No," sighed Jayfeather. Why did she always have to know what he was thinking? Sure StarClan had the power but didn't he have some ability to block his mind. He hated the amusement that he felt coming from her in waves every time he talked to her. Why did she still look at him the way he looked at Blossomkit whenever she ran through the fresh kill pile, chased there by the other kits? He was a full grown cat now!

Yellowfang sighed. "Jayfeather, I can't stop you from looking for Mothwing. But be careful. You will find what you seek but you will not interfere. Mothwing has already done something she regrets. The only way she can help herself is to set herself back on the path she knows."

"Then maybe I should tell her that!" Jayfeather snapped. "At least that way, I'd be useful instead of sitting here talking to a cat who didn't even lift a claw when Sol tried to destroy a Clan!"

Yellowfang growled. "ShadowClan's ancestors helped once the apprentices had proven they cared about the old ways! And yes you can tell Mothwing what she should do but don't try to bring her back further in time than she already is!"

Jayfeather stared. "She went back in time?"

Yellowfang nodded.

"But how did StarClan get her back in time when she doesn't believe in you?" asked Jayfeather incredulously. "I thought you couldn't visit her in dreams much less transport her spirit back in time."

"StarClan has never transported cat spirits back in time," rasped Yellowfang. "But there are other cats who can, Jayfeather. And one in particular who needs your guidance now."

"Do you mean Rock?" asked Jayfeather. He knew the ancient cat could transport him back in time but he didn't see how Rock could need his help. Rock was the one with the power to help him.

Yellowfang's eyes bored into him. "The only reason I make it so easy for you is that we don't have much time. This goes against all of StarClan's policy. Be grateful I didn't tell you to look at kits."

"Kits? Do you mean Dovekit or Ivykit?" asked Jayfeather.

"Finally he figures it out! I was thinking I may have to show you the two kits directly. Terrible, just terrible."

"So you want me to take Dovekit or Ivykit to find Mothwing?" Even to him, the idea sounded crazy. The kits were only about a moon old and certainly too little to take back in time. On the other hand, he was grateful that this meant he would probably find out which kit was the third cat in the prophecy. He had been watching the two kits very closely, trying to find any excuse to go into the nursery, making sure the queens had more borage than they needed and making sure it was much cleaner than it needed to be. He was sick of Blossomkit who seemed to be playing a game where she gave herself points for getting close to his tail before his sharp senses located her and Rosekit who had gotten it into her head that he was in the nursery all the time just to teach her battle moves. Never mind that there were warrior apprentices who could teach them better. Never mind that Icepaw and Foxpaw, overworked as they were, could definitely be expected to take some responsibility now that they were almost warriors. Toadkit was the worst of the kits, though but Jayfeather would find it hard to explain why. He hero worshipped Jayfeather these days. However his mother had given him a long talking to about annoying him. So now whenever Jayfeather went to the nursery to watch young Dovekit and Ivykit, Toadkit just sat there with his tail on his paws, staring at Jayfeather.

Jayfeather didn't know if he was doing this on purpose just so he could snap that he wasn't bothering Jayfeather when Jayfeather snapped at him or if he genuinely meant to show respect in some mouse-brained kit way. So far Jayfeather had held his tongue but he didn't think he could for much longer. He had held his tongue with Toadkit anyway. He had snapped at Rosekit and Graystripe's kits often enough. And the infuriating thing was that they weren't afraid of him anymore. They seemed to laugh at his snappish attitude. They seemed certain that he really loved them. And with the time he spent in the nursery, who could blame them. Jayfeather was glad to have the mystery solved so he could observe from a bit more of a distance as the kit got older.

"Don't let it go to your head," hissed Yellowfang, though they both knew this advice was worthless. It had already gone to his head and there was nothing she could do about it. "You won't be taking the kit with you. You will just be entering into her dream and taking on her eyes for your own. You will see things you would not otherwise see."

"See things I would not otherwise see?" asked Jayfeather.

Yep! See you next time," said Yellowfang disappearring into the forest. Jayfeather's pelt burned with frustration. The one time he really wanted her around. He was about to return to the Moonpool and enter into another cat's dream when he spotted three cats coming out of the forest to surround him themselves. One was a reddish-brown tom, one a plump speckled gray tom, the third a silvery-gray she-cat. Jayfeather had never seen or scented any of them before.

***

Jayfeather returned to camp. This half-moon had been a bust. He hadn't had time to sneak into any other cats dreams because he had been kept talking by Moonflower, Pinestar and Goosefeather. Now he returned to his own den. It felt empty without Leafpool.

Jayfeather could sense her sitting at the fresh kill pile, dropping a shrew on top of it. He guessed it had been the only thing she had caught all day. He wondered how she wasn't blind like him or crippled like Cinderpelt and yet hadn't been given very good hunting training. True, she had focused on herbs but hadn't it been important for the Clan to make sure she could find food in an emergency. Squirrelflight sat down beside her and Jayfeather heard her mutter something encouraging in her ear. He didn't see Leafpool's response but knew it was silent.

Jayfeather felt a growl deep in his throat. These cats were the source of his misery. If only they'd bothered to tell him the truth. They could have been a happy family instead of a messed up one. He sensed indignation coming off of the two she-cats as they noticed his sightless blue eyes staring at them. They headed off to the warriors den together to go to sleep. Jayfeather returned to his own empty den, feeling hollow. He missed Leafpool, he really did. And if only she would just say she was sorry, he could hope to-not forgive her exactly-0but come to understand. Sometimes he wondered why he had wasted so much time and energy reaching out to her feelings when she obviously felt terribly hurt but not as guilty as she should.

_Is that what I've become? A cat who wishes guilty feelings on others?_ Jayfeather pushed away the thought. He had a job to do. He lay down in his mossy nest and sunk into sleep. He felt his way into the nursery and floated over the sleeping forms of Daisy and her litter who would be apprenticed soon, Millie and her kits and finally came to Whitewing's nest. Dovekit slept curled up between Whitewing's front paws. Ivykit slept on Whitewing's back, with her nose in Whitewing's ear.

Jayfeather moved closer to Ivykit, and rushed to enter her dream. Instantly he felt something blocking him. He was thrown off immediately by the strange psychological defense that had been set up like a force field around Ivykit. With his dream eyes he saw Whitewing fidget in her sleep and hiss softly under her breathe.

Jayfether retreated to his own den and woke up, returning to his sightless world. _Note to self_, he thought. _Mother cats can keep me out of their kits' dreams. But maybe if I get a little closer..._

***

After every other cat had gone to sleep, Jayfeather padded out of the medicine den. He knew Berrynose was on watch and he didn't want to be caught by that arrogent, mouse-brained fool. He'd never hear the end of it. Berrynose would probably wake up half the camp without even trying too and Jayfeather didn't want that. But as Jayfeather tiptoed over to the nursery he heard snoring coming from the front entrance to the camp. _I'll have to wake up Brambleclaw when I'm done," _Jayfeather told himself. He would like to see Berrynose in trouble. Maybe he should tell Dustpelt instead of Brambleclaw just for the harsh punishment Dustpelt would give. Sometimes Berrynose did behave just like a spoiled kittypet. But first Jayfeather had a job to do.

He stuck his head into the nursery, picking up the scents of Daisy, Toadkit, Rosekit, Millie and her three kits, and at the back, the most out of the cold, Whitewing and her litter. _ Just my luck_, thought Jayfeather. He stepped carefully over the sleeping forms of Daisy's kits, wincing as Rosekit rolled over and weezed in her sleep. He felt one of her tiny paws club him across the knee. Jayfeather waited with his heart pounding, glad she hadn't woken up. Then he felt Briarkit stirring. "Jjjjayfeather," she muttered.

"Huh," Blossomkit was stirring now. "Hey, Bumblekit, wake up. The great medicine cat has descended from his cloud to pay us a visit at night. We must bow at his feet," Blossomkit, ironically had to struggle to her paws because her mother's tail was lying across her chest. Jayfeather could hear it hit the ground as Blossomkit tossed it off. Millie and Bumblekit were both waking up now. Toadkit was beginning to wake up too. "Hey, Jayfeather!" He called out," Whatcha doin' here?"

"Uh," Jayfeather could feel Millie's gaze on him. "Berrynose is asleep on watch, so I wanted to make sure all the kits were okay. Foxes and whatnot, you know."

"Has he now?" Millie looked annoyed. "Well, I guess I'll just have to replace him on watch. But you shouldn't be walking in here. You can see we're all okay from the entrance. I like that you want to spend so much time with our kits but please do it during the day."

Jayfeather bit back his sharp retort as Millie went out on watch. Of course she had noticed something going on. He had been in here far too often. Just that morning he had tried to test Whitewing's two kits by showing them a couple of herbs in the vain hope that one of them was a mind reader and could tell him what they were called and used for without being told from his brain. Whitewing had asked him if he was that desperate for an apprentice and told him that if Dovekit or Ivykit wanted to be a medicine cat they would search him out.

Toadkit had then said, "No offense, Jayfeather, but I think I would rather be a warrior."

_At least you have a choice!_ Jayfeather had bit back that retort too. He'd known all along that Toadkit was definitely a warrior, not a medicine cat.

Now that Millie was out of the den, Jayfeather stepped closer to Whitewing and the kits, though he was aware of the eyes of Toadkit and Millie's three kits on him. He would only need a second. He forced his sense hard onto the two kits. Once again he felt strong resistance from Whitewing, but by concentrating hard he was able to push through. Dovekit was very excited about her father's promise to teach her the hunting crouch tomorrow. Ivykit was jealous because he seemed to favour Dovekit. As Jayfeather concentrated hard on her, he felt some very strong emotions. Mixed up in love for her sister, he felt strange resentment because Dovekit seemed to be the favoured kit. Jayfeather felt a memory coming to the surface.

***

Dovekit had been talking to Ivykit, Briarkit and both mothers about Rosekit and Toadkit's upcoming apprentice ceremonies. Briarkit had remarked to her two younger friends that she thought Rosekit's mentor would be Brightheart because Firestar didn't think she should get a kit as difficult as Toadkit. Then Blossomkit had stomped up and said that Toadkit was not difficult. And the two sisters chased each other off. Jayfeather had heard Blossomkit running around like a little nutcase a hundred times before but this was the first time he'd seen it. He winced as she veered under Thornclaw's legs, tripped over her own paws, crashing into the warriors den, causing Cloudtail to wake up and curse from inside.

Millie remarked to Whitewing. "I think Blossomkit is already starting to have a little crush on Toadkit, you know."

Whitewing replied, "It's too early to tell."

Dovekit looked up at her mother and said, "It's never too early, Whitewing."

Whitewing smiled and licked her head and Millie said, "You sure speak like a little thinker Dovekit."

"Am I a little thinker too?" asked Ivykit.

"Sure," said Millie, before dashing off to confront Cloudtail who was now yelling at Blossomkit and Briarkit. Whitewing followed.

***

Ivykit was seething at the way Dovekit was such a show-off and always wanted to hog attention. And she still seethed at it in her sleep. Jayfeather felt a stab of sympathy for her. He loved his own littermates and wanted only what was best for them but he'd always been jealous of how they got to be warriors and didn't have to deal with the stigma of being blind. He hadn't realized that two sisters with seemingly equal abilities could have such jealousy between them.

Tearing himself away from Ivykit, Jayfeather focused on Dovekit. Suddenly, he _saw_ her eyes open. They were golden and shiny, seeming almost too big for her face. He was still in the exact same space he had been in before but now he could see an odd structure with a red roof and several holes in the walls. Watching closely, he saw a Twoleg outside of it, attaching a strange snakelike thing to a bump on the wall. Jayfeather jumped when drops of water spurted out of the weird metal object attached to the snake. It was as if the Twoleg had made rain, though Jayfeather couldn't imagine why. Then the Twoleg stomped into the structure. _ Is this what a Twoleg nest looks like?_


	9. Chapter 9: Kittens and Twoleg Kitchens

**I don't own Warriors. I own only the plot. The NEW plot. Hint. Hint.**

**Chapter 9: Kittens and Twoleg Kitchens**

Jayfeather felt himself coming to in the nursery. Dovekit was just waking up as well. She yawned, stretched, stared at him and backed away. "What happened?" She gasped.

Jayfeather could no longer see her but he could hear her haunches moving up and down. "We were in the past," he said. "Have you ever had a dream like that before?"

Dovekit exhaled loudly, "I've been in strange places in my dreams. Sitting on a pit of dung in front of a Twoleg nest. With a dog sniffing me. These dreams about Twolegs are weird. But there's always a cat in them. Once I was in a Twoleg house watching a red-haired kit eat out of a dish. I think that he looked a lot like Firestar actually but I knew he couldn't be because he had a collar with a bell on it. I didn't know we could step into each other's dreams."

"You can't," said Jayfeather carefully. "Only I can. And you can do more than just dream. You're seeing the past. You're stepping into it."

Jayfeather could only imagine the confusion on Dovekit's face. "I didn't know cats could step into the past. I thought these things were just dreams."

Jayfeather opened his mouth to reply but he could hear Whitewing waking up. He heard her gently shove Ivykit off her back and get to her feet. "Jayfeather?" He heard her ask. Jayfeather groaned. He didn't want to explain things to her again.

"I was comforting Daisy again. She seems to think that every time one of the kits coughs it's dying," he grumbled, feeling his way out of the nursery. He passed the scents of Ferncloud, Daisy and...that wasn't Rosekit and Toadkit. That was...Jayfeather stopped and sniffed. That was two unfamiliar kits that smelled like Daisy and a bit like...Longtail? No that couldn't be right. Jayfeather sniffed harder.

"What are you sniffing at?" growled the little she-kit.

"Did I get mouse bile on me?" asked the little tom in a confused voice.

"No, you didn't," the she-kit sniggered. "It's just the medicine cat being a dunce again."

"Plumkit!" Daisy snapped. "I told you never to talk to Jayfeather that way again! You apologize right now!" Her voice softened. "Stripekit, you don't smell bad at all. Jayfeather's sniffing because he can't see us and needs to use his other senses to find his way around."

"Sorry," Plumkit sniggered, not sounding very sorry at all.

Dumbfounded, Jayfeather continued on his way out of the medicine den. He'd never thought there would be a kit in ThunderClan that would make him miss Toadkit. Come to think of it, there was a milky scent on Plumkit and Stripekit. So they were younger than Rosekit and Toadkit? And where were Millie and her litter? He hadn't smelled them in the nursery.

"Jayfeather?" Glad to hear a voice he recognized, Jayfeather padded forward only to be greeted by a pained shriek. "The kits are coming!" Jayfeather gulped. "But Hazeltail, you don't..." His voice trailed off. He couldn't expect anything to necessarily be the same.


	10. Chapter 10: Illusive Dreams

**I still don't own warriors. But I own this plot.**

**Chapter 10: Illusive Dreams**

Mothwing and Tadpole stood at the clear part of the wall, watching for the reappearance of the gray cat. "Who was he, do you think and why was he interested in us?" asked Tadpole. Mothwing shrugged. She couldn't tell him about Jayfeather no matter how much she wished she could.

"You knew him didn't you?" asked Tadpole. "You had seen him before somewhere. Or else you wouldn't have told me about him."

Mothwing shook her head. "I'm not sure where but he did look kind of familiar, Tadpole."

Sounds could be heard in the other chamber now as the kits were waking up. First snuffling breathing, then a kick and then an angry shout, followed by a smashing sound. The Twoleg sleeping in front of the glowing screen stirred but didn't wake up. She just mumbled something in her sleep. Heavy footsteps could be heard on the steps that led to a higher part of the nest. Then came screaming that sounded like the older female Twoleg. Hawk ran into the chamber with the food.

"The kits have bees in their brains!" he meowed. "I'm going to hide." He skidded across the floor, reached one of the wooden doors at ground level and slid his paw into an open crack, crawling in through the available space. Mothwing decided he had the right idea. She jumped to the floor, caught her balance using her claws and leapt in through the opening behind her brother.

Mothwing could see Hawk's blue eyes glowing in the dark. They were inside a dusty wooden enclosure with fewer breathing holes than any den they had ever seen. It was full of strange smooth objects that were cold to the touch. But they were circular and shaped like a dip in the ground. Mothwing put one of her front paws inside the smallest to see if she could hide in it, but withdrew immediately. It was just too cold. Her paw also set the object to an annoying rattling sound. Mothwing hated how even the things that Twolegs made were invariably very noisy.

The door opened wider as Tadpole shoved it with his nose. But he pushed it too wide open and light flooded the wooden enclosure. Mothwing saw Hawk's blue eyes blink with the sudden light.

She was suddenly aware of the elderly female Twoleg in the food chamber. The Twoleg grunted with the effort of moving her old bones much the way a Clan elder would. She reached down and plucked Tadpole up in her arms, ignoring his meows of protest. Sighing, she shut the door tight and walked away. Mothwing stood on her hind legs and tried to push it open. It wouldn't budge. "Hey, what's going on? I should be able to get this thing open."

Hawk leapt onto a shelf in the corner of their prison and peered through a crack. "Fox dung! That Twoleg has something big propped against the door. And she's standing on it to reach something." He rolled his eyes. "Guess we should meow for attention."

They opened their mouths to meow but as they did, they heard an ear-splitting crash followed by a shriek from their brother and an added shriek from Shnuky. Then came the sound of rushing feet followed by crying kits, murmured words of comfort from Twolegs and lots of noise.

Mothwing leapt onto the shelf next to her brother and could make out the image of the elderly Twoleg lying on the ground in a convoluted shape. The others were there, tending to her and keeping the kits out of the way. Mothwing couldn't see Tadpole and when she sniffed the air she couldn't smell him either. She meowed loudly but only the male Twoleg looked away from what he was doing. His eyes narrowed in annoyance at thin air and he returned to holding the elderly female's hand.

"We're right here and they don't notice," grumbled Hawk.

"They're busy with a Twoleg who's hurt," whispered Mothwing. She had more patience for this sort of thing. Not to mention experience. "They aren't going to take much notice of anything else until they deal with this emergency." Hawk nodded and curled up inside one of the rattly Twoleg things. Mothwing stayed on the shelf, watching what she could of the Twolegs. She may not want to stay with them but she didn't want to see any of them hurt, especially the elderly Twoleg who had decided to take in the three motherless kits.

In a few minutes, strange Twolegs in white pelts entered the nest and began looping strange Twoleg things around Shnuky's elderly housefolk, who was drifting in and out of consciousness. Mothwing whimpered as she watched with worried eyes. What were those straps-oh, they were using them to secure the Twoleg to a white board. Mothwing noted that they were very careful to keep her body straight. Had the Twoleg's backbone been injured? Mothwing knew of a cat in ShadowClan, Wild-something or other whose backbone had been broken. She knew broken bones needed to be splinted and that sometimes they didn't heal. Backbones never healed. Wildfur had died of infection. Mothwing didn't want this to happen to her favourite of the Twolegs. And there was nothing she could do. The Twoleg slipped into unconsciousness but on her face was an expression of pain. She looked so helpless now, Mothwing thought. Not imperious and strong like she usually was. In fact, now that Mothwing thought about it, she had greying hair like a Clan elder's fur might become and her skin was wrinkled and frail. Suddenly she looked fragile, as if she might drift away at any moment.

Then as the rescue team was carrying the unconscious Twoleg out of the house, followed by the younger Twolegs, another worry occurred to Mothwing. If the elderly Twoleg didn't survive this, what would happen to the cats? Would they be turned loose? Mothwing suppressed her anticipation at that thought. She and her brothers may want to escape but Shnuky wouldn't. She actually liked living here, despite the grabby little hands.

Mothwing reminded herself that the young female Twolegs wouldn't want to give them up. Probably the kits wouldn't either, unfortunately. But Shnuky was probably safe either way. The male would wring his hands and let them keep her. Just like he always did. Then again maybe he would find a shredded pillow or a glass accidentally destroyed (_forgetting that his own kits are just as likely to cause both these things to happen_, Mothwing thought bitterly) and decides he'd had it and without the elderly female around to scold him might go through with getting rid of her. _Not that I wouldn't mourn her for her own sake, _Mothwing reminded herself_. And she's not dead yet. With the right care she will live for awhile yet. If the Twolegs know as much about healing as cats do, which I kind of doubt. But I need to think of other cats before Twolegs. _

She curled into a ball inside the cold, hard object. It wasn't comfortable like her bed of reeds back in RiverClan or even like Shnuky's cat basket but it was enclosed enough to give her an innate feeling of being protected. She was grateful when Hawk slid in beside her and curled up beside her. Her worries forgotten she drifted off to sleep.

_Mothwing was running through the forest. She could hear the whistling of birds but didn't stop to catch them. She could see a white pelt ahead of her. Mothwing dove into the clearing, next to the white cat. It was Icewing, standing over the kits. Petalkit had a thorn in her eye, Grasskit was coughing hard, Beetlekit was unconscious and Pricklekit was blinking hard, his eyes hot with fever._

_ "Icewing," gasped Mothwing. "What happened to Beetlekit?" Grasskit and Pricklekit needed herbs but first she would need to assess Beetlekit and then ease the thorn out of Petalkit's eye. She would have to use the advice Barkface had given her for this._

_ Icewing laid her ears back and stepped protectively in front of the kits. "Who are you?" she growled. "And how do you know my name? And my kits' name?_

_Mothwing recoiled in shock. "I'm Mothwing. You know me." She stopped and looked down at herself. She was no longer a grown medicine cat running through the woods. She was a kit again. "Because I…uh. Look you need help, right? I know how to treat a damaged eye and fever and I can help cure the cough. As for Beetlekit…"_

"_Please," whispered Icewing. "Help me save him. He's stopped breathing." Mothwing stood over Beetlekit and carefully took hold of him in her paws to lay him out on his back but do as little damage as possible. But she felt like she was touching nothing at all. His body flickered once and then disappeared. Mothwing couldn't help it. She screamed. Icewing smiled and began to fade into thin air like Beetlekit. Petalkit let out a wail of agony and staggered toward Mothwing. Mothwing felt herself torn between the medicine cat's instinct to help and a primal fear that Petalkit would disappear like Icewing and Beetlekit had. Grasskit and Pricklekit's figures were fading too. Petalkit slipped, fell off her paws and vanished. _

_The forest began swirling in circles around Mothwing. She felt dizzy from the whirlpool she was caught in the middle of. Then she felt her feet swept off the ground, and paddled at whirling dust and debris, some of it apparently fragments of the forest around her. But the forest was slowly disintegrating into tiny particles. Only Mothwing remained intact. "Help!" she yowled, piteously. _

_After what felt like forever, Mothwing felt ground hard beneath her twitching feet. She couldn't get her footing and collapsed, feeling jagged edges pierce her skin and getting the wind knocked out of her. For a minute she hurt too much to look around but when she did there was no more swirling dust stinging her eyes, only a smooth cave of rock surrounding her. Pointed stones descended from the ceiling like Stoneteller's cave in the Tribe of Rushing Water's home. As her eyes adjusted to only a faint glow off the rocks she noted that this wasn't the same cave. There was no sign of an opening; just several passages leading down various dark tunnels Mothwing couldn't see more than an inch into. And there was a cat walking out of one of the tunnels. Mothwing felt a familiar scent wash over her. She couldn't believe her nose. She wanted to believe it but after Icewing and the kits she didn't want to risk the tawny figure in front of her disappearing into thin air._

"_Mama," whispered Mothwing, putting all Clan formality aside and opting not to call her mother by the same name everyone else called her. _

"_Moth," whispered Sasha. "Don't be afraid. You're safe here. Even if it may not seem so." _

_Mothwing just lay on the stone floor. She was too sore to get up. She stretched out her front legs and tested her paws on the floor. Her paws were sticky with blood. _

"_Moth," gasped Sasha. "You're bleeding. Stay there and I'll help you." She nuzzled her kit gentle and then examined her paws and legs. There were several cuts but Sasha managed to groom away some of the blood with her tongue. Mothwing, grateful that her mother was not gone forever, at least not in her mind, purred happily._

"_Dove's Wing!" Sasha called. "You told me that cat spirits could not be injured in these caves. That they were a safe haven. What has happened to my daughter?"_

_A pale gray she-cat stepped out of the darkness from which Sasha had emerged, followed by three other cat specters, their eyes shining but their identities not easy to make out. Mothwing had never heard a two-worded named like that. Maybe she was a Tribe of Rushing Water cat? But no, tribe names were always longer._

"_This is not a cat spirit," meowed Dove's Wing. "This is your living daughter. And she would not be here if she were not alive to change what happens in the world of the living." The she-cat walked over to Mothwing. "It's okay," she told her. "You will wake up and go back home when you have heard what you need to hear in this place."_

"_Oh, Moth," Sasha purred, rubbing her head against her daughter. "You're still alive. I'm so happy. Are you getting enough to eat? Where are you living? Are your brothers' okay?" Mothwing was surprised by how real her mother's touch felt, so much more warm and soft and alive than in any other dream she had ever had. It was as if she were really here. And Mothwing was well aware that she was dreaming._

_Another pair of blue eyes stepped out of the impenetrable darkness. This one was a white she-cat. Like Dove's Wing she looked kind but unlike Dove's Wing she looked a little bewildered. Mothwing got the sense that while Dove's Wing knew exactly why she, Mothwing, was here, this other she-cat did not. The other two cats, one with amber eyes, one with blue, did not move. _

"_You're Moth?" The she-cat asked. "Sasha's daughter? Are you hurt bad?"_

"_No, she's just cut," Sasha licked Mothwing cuts again. "It will be alright, darling. I am alright, as well. I have a territory in another world. I'm only worried about you and your brothers." _

"_Hawk and Tadpole are fine, mama," meowed Mothwing softly. "And there is something else I must tell you." She was not sure how to mention her actual age. "Shnuky helped us escape the BloodClan cats that…got you…and we're living with her but only for a few moons, I think. Because I'm going to make sure we end up in the forest and there's a specific reason why I have to be there that…"_

"_I have such brave kits," meowed Sasha. "I'm so lucky."_

"_You cannot watch over them as other cats watch over their loved ones?" asked the white she-cat softly._

"_No, Brambleberry, I cannot," Sasha meowed. "I found my way to these realms but I do not know them very well yet."_

"_You were not brought to the stars by another cat?" Brambleberry's eyebrows raised. "You are not a Clan cat, I know, but there must have been others like you who would assist such a thing."_

"_What do you mean, others like me?" asked Sasha._

"_Other kittypets," said Mothwing simply._


End file.
